Some Good GreenMedia from GreenSudbury

• Gas wars are class wars suggests a member of the rainforest action network.With the City considering upwards of $30 million for new road work including the Barrydowne bypass what subsidies are being considered for public transit?
  

• Watch out NLFB!! CitySol is NYC's hugely popular solar music and culture festival. See the photos from Inhabitat.com and get charged up.

Photo Credit: Debb Trahan-Pero eco-sense

• Eat local food store opened this week at the Farmers Market.Locavore is another another installment on living off the grid from Deanne Brebner and Don Bisonnette of Sutton, Quebec featured in TreeHugger.com

• North America's first carbon tax rolls out in British Colombia - Read the reaction and impact from the mayor of Williams Lake from the Environmental News Network.

• Click here to listen to Mayor Will Wynn of Austin Texas who was a keynote speaker at this year’s Sustainable Operations Summit in Monterey, California.

• Canadian mining activities were addressed this week when Rural Mexicans traveled to Toronto to address the use of cyanide in Gold extraction.

• An alternative to Cement driveway construction in this little tidbit from House Obsession

• First Nations launch 1st Global warming lawsuit.

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GreenSudbury Think Local Act Local

Thanks to Local GreenSudbury Facebook subscriber Debb Trahan-Pero for allowing us to feature her amazing local nature photography. Debb also has has a local eco-sense blog.
Click on the small spheres icon at the end of this post for related content - its a great tool for fast results and well worth your time.

Local Green News:

• This month both the SouthSider and Northernlife included a GreenLiving and Green Media insert while CBC announced the launch of Cambrian College's new media director Jessica Grillanda's (of Definitely not the Opera fame) bi-weekly column Eco-Tips in July.
• Local climate change Film "Open you eyes and see" from Grade 8 Pius XII class premieres and Director of education Catherine McCullough orders a DVD for every school in the Sudbury Catholic District School Board.
• Laurentian University's MIRARCO Ontario Centre for Climate Impacts and Adaption Resources
• receives $350,000 for climate change research.

On the GreenCity front:

• What might a GreenSudbury look like? This month new green organic waste bins began appearing in select ward neighborhoods as part of the 1.7 million waste diversion program.
• TreeHugger.com has an ironic piece on the bureaucratic nightmare one Toronto architect's plan for a Green house created entitled "The road to hell is paved with green intentions". City planners can view a project in re-imagining a future city here.
• Meanwhile, California continues it's Leeds building in the new California Academy of Sciences
• building. A science museum renovation designed by award winning architect Renzo Piano featuring a living roof and swamp as a tourist attraction that could almost be a blueprint for Science North and the local drive for a Sudbury School of Architecture.
• Elsewhere, in the German city of Marburg -population 80,000 (similar in size to Sudbury) and famous for it's university, the local Green mayor has mandated solar panel installation on all new home construction and roof renovations.

The Green Family:

• This summer children and nature has tons of tips on outdoor nature based activities including tree houses and enviro summer boot camps. EnviroMom is one moms personal blog from Seattle and this article on family biking was fresh and should be a fun read for Sudbury's critical mass bike group.
• Or visit ecoMoms blog on ideas to harness the power of Green Women!

It's the Green economy stupid!

• Sudbury local business associations might look to Cleveland's interesting b2b sustainable entrepreneurs program that is similar to the Green Enterprise Toronto network for building local living economies. Industrial examples of can retool greencollar jobs.

Can't see the forest for the trees:

• The city of Sudbury's VETAC land reclamation celebrated their 30th anniversary . See what species are being replanted here and where in Sudbury.
• Google Earth has a new State of the World's Forest layer - to visualize and see the data on rainforest's or Northern Ontario's Boreal forest. A beautiful piece from sustainablog on hummingbirds

Green Spirit:

• To help rejuvenate the spirit and vision, Grist.org has published a list of 15 Green spiritual leaders including Christians for the Mountains (against open strip mining), What would Jesus Drive campaign? of the Evangelical Environmental Network, The Genesis Farm and partner of the Foodshed Alliance and many more designed to perk up your hope quotient.

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GreenSudbury Top Sudbury Environmental News from May 2008

Long Lake Acrobat Bear

Photo licensed under Creative Commons courtesy of http://flickr.com/photos/eastick_east/22620259/sizes/m/
GreenSudbury Top Sudbury Environmental News from May 2008

• After years of data collection the $10 million dollar Sudbury Soils Study, was released to the public. The study found no appreciable current human health risks after decades of local mining and processing activities from Vale/Inco and Xstrata/Falconbridge. Media coverage and reaction was extensive with hundreds of citizens attending the public meetings including United Steel Workers of America and Mine Mill representatives who questioned the study methodology of not including pensioners and retirees in determining health effects.
• Myths and Mirrors launches Whats the Risk postcard encouraging discussion on the Soils Samples Study.
• NorthWatch and MiningWatch release report on the state of Mining and Boreal Forests.Read the Sudbury Star article or Download the .pdf
  

• WhiteFish Lake First Nations Atikameksheng Anishnaebek, launches $500 billion dollar land claim to most of the City of Greater Sudbury. Talk about a Jaw Dropper! Read the Northern Life coverage
  
• EARTH MEDICINE GATHERING Awakening to a New Dawn was held in May at Atikameksheng Anishnawbek (Whitefish Lake First Nations Reserve),
  
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• Rainbow district school board announces a $9 million dollar English/French immersion Green school to be developed in city's West end.
  
• Sudbury was represented the Ontario Envirothon competition by students from MaryMount College.
• Alexander Public School funded byToyota Evergreen Learning Grounds to regreen the school grounds.
• Pinecrest Public School 25-member gardening club unveils its regreening efforts after winning last years VETAC Ugliest Schoolyard Contest
• Ecole Notre Dame parents group continue plans to ReGreen their School Grounds
  
• Sudbury Master Gardeners and Horticultural Society volunteers worked on the John Street Park.
• The Foodshed Project on Food Sustainability held a Youth forum on May 21 at the downtown Market Square. 2 Great articles on the local Farming and food supply chain in the Sudbury Star.
  

• City of Greater Sudbury releases its official Master plan with Watershed, Lake and Environmental protection priorities.Download the .pdf
• City plans Green building to rebuild Portions of Pioneer Manor destroyed in fire.
  
• Greater Sudbury ReGreening Staff plant 3000 jack and white pine, tamarack and white spruce on the Azilda ski trail site.
• City Bicycle advisory panel and Sudbury Transit announce bike racks on city bus routes Route 703 - Val Caron / Hanmer / Capreol.
• Ward 6 Coun. André Rivest sends out 13, 000 flyers to promote the BarryDowne Extension, a 10 km (6 mile) connecting road claiming the road will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing commuting times and idling times caused by congestion at intersections along MR 80 and at the Lasalle - Notre Dame intersection

• Sudbury Green Party and T.A.G. presented the 11th Hour at the Parkside Older Adults Center.
• Gordon Harris local Green candidate and Liz May of the Green Party hosted a meet and greet at Respect is Burning, a Chamber of Commerce breakfast at the Idylwylde Golf and Country Club and a Laurentian University Womens alumni event. Read the Sudbury Star coverage.
• Stephane Dion of the Liberal Party stopped in to Science North and promised a Green election campaign stating “ I will make climate change the core of my next campaign because it is the worse ecological threat that humanity is facing,”
  
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• Junction Creek Stewardship Committee continued its Brook Trout Re-introduction Program releasing 1000 Brook Trout May 22nd at Twin Forks Park with help from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Scouts.
• Cedar Green golf course in Garson in conjunction with Junction Creek Stewardship Committee begin watering its greens using a newly-constructed pond.

• Science North receives funding for an film on Climate Change and premieres locally produced film Mysteries of the Great Lakes (runs May 5 - June 27)
• The 3rd Annual Geo cache Hike 'n' Seek took place May 31 at the Rotary Park Trail (Adanac Ski Hill)
• The Stopciati Gallery presented The Bear Project "Are black bears encroaching on our territory or are we encroaching on theirs?", an exhibition of paintings by Suzanne McCrae during the month of May.
• Caisse Populaire on Lasalle promoted fair trade and the environment giving away tree seedlings when switching to a paperless account during environment week.

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GreenSudbury Weekend Green Reading

Some recent links to useful Green News. Something for everyone in the GreenSudbury network. The above picture demonstrates the difference public transportation makes to road congestion and the savings in energy and reduction in Greenhouse gas produced.

1. Landmarks not Landfill: Sean Fraser on Building To Last
   
2. It's Official: Green is Sexy
   
3. Today on Planet Green
4. Students Protest Lack of LEED
5. Today on Planet Green
6. Wisconsin Signs Great Lakes Compact
7. Barcelona Parties Under the Largest Urban Solar Structure
8. Re-thinking the Variability of Wind and Solar Power
9. Hong Kong's Real Recycling Blends Bin Collection With Street Sales
10. Celine Dion's Florida House Guzzles 6.5 Million Gallons Of Water Per Year
11. Victory Gardens: War on Waste
12. ‘Going Green’ A Great Primer For, Well, Going Green.
13. Brazil and India Top Greendex; USA, Canada and France Finish Last

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GreenWeekend Food for Thought

"every time you do buy something you’re advocating the way that company does business, and by buying a hybrid car or buying something organic, you’re essentially making them create more for the marketplace out there" Leonardo Di Caprio on The 11thHour

GreenWeekend is a recap of some local issues and ideas to mulch over the long weekend as Food for thought. Brain Food. GreenFood. Good timely information. Take the 15 minutes to read, click and commit to helping build a GreenSudbury.



Close to 3o members of the public attended last weeks free showing of the 11th hour at the Older Adults Center at the Y.M.C.A. hosted by the Sudbury Green Party and T.A.G. Gallery. The same week Science North launched Mysteries of the Great Lakes - a locally produced and narrated film that showcases and builds on Sudbury's film production, science and environmental record. This followed closely on the heels of The Sudbury Earth Day 2008 organizing committee's successful Enviro-film showing at the Rainbow cinema and suggest that enough local support may exist for a semi-regular Green film showcase or perhaps a Green component in next years Cinefest.

Mayor John Rodriquez recently returned from a GreenJobs conference in Pittsburg hosted by the GreenBlueAlliance (a Steelworkers based organization) based on a 20 year old recognition of Sudbury's 1980's regreening efforts. In fact the city declared in 2004 that one of its top 5 priorities was to become an eco-industrial economy. In fact, maybe Sudbury could consider becoming Ecopolitan rather than Cosmopolitan! The GlobalOnesness site suggests that Green business may be one viable answer to downtown urban renewal. Eating local, supporting local farmers, starting small green businesses?

Take the example of EcoNeutral a British Colombia company that has taken regreening and restoration experience to Municipalities, First Nations and other landowners and provides GreenJobs. Do we not have the same specialized experience and resources here? Who will take the next steps towards Green economic development locally?

In Greensburg Kansas it took a tornado to turn the town green but with Sudbury's desire to host a school of architecture, a Leed's standard building under construction for the Living With Lakes Center and Cambrian Colleges Sustainable Energy Building we may not need a natural disaster. The international Institute for Sustainable Development has plenty of information that matches smart cities and new technologies to a new model of growth.

Take a look at what the City of Vancouver has available if you wonder what smart steps we can take towards local Green jobs in a GreenSudbury economy. Industrial eco-models networks and resources exist that can help Sudbury on its way. We need to change how we view ourselves, our city and the importance of the making the changes required! And tools exist for the city to consider enacting to support the coming changes as well.

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Top 10 Green Websites of the Week

Driving Green

EcoCity
EcoCity Builders
Forum For The Future
Green Market Canada
TreeHugger
GreenBiz
GreenOntario
Northern Ontario EcoAdventures
Green TV

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The Green Buzz

Whats the buzz Tell me whats a Happening.

According to Neilson Buzz online metrics, the level of books, blogging and public discussion on Green topics has risen by 50% over the past year. Surprisingly, discussion on global warming and organics have fallen while the discussion has broadened to include packaging, plastics,transportation and the 3'R's.

According to the March , 2008 report "For example, in the retail sector, while Wal-Mart and Target both introduced reusable shopping bags, some consumers voiced skepticism towards Wal-Mart because of its association with environmental, labor, and health care issues."

According to a Shopper Environmental Sentiment survey 66% of U.S. respondents sometimes purchase Green products , the Cone 2008 Green Gap survey lists the rate at 40% and Minto market research rates a total of 200 million Americans as having a Green purchasing posture for enviro friendly products in certain categories - 66% paper products and 57% food.

"For example, 36 percent found the message “environmentally friendly” credible when used to describe a paper product, but 60 percent found the message “made with 80% post-consumer recycled paper” credible.

So, a Green rebranding is not necessarily enough to convince the public of a businesses' enviro- bona fides.

Pollster Harris Interactive identifys 23% of the new 'eco-boomers' demographic (ages 18 - 31) as no longer purchasing plastic bottled water for Green reasons.

And it's not just a question of purchasing but of also dropping product lines all together!

Green market consumers use online searching for 80% of their environmental information and according to
BurstMedia and a third or 37% recall viewing 'Green Messaging'. Have you started to think about the GreenMarket yet?

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